US Ambassador Engages With PTI Leadership To Discuss Pakistan’s Stability, Reforms
On Monday, US Ambassador David Bloom met with the chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, barrister Gohar Ali Khan, to discuss the importance of long-term reforms for Pakistan’s stability and security. PTI’s central secretary general, Omar Ayub Khan, former speaker of the National Assembly, Asad Qaiser, and its central information secretary, Rauf Hassan, joined the party chairman.
Following the meeting, Thomas Montgomery, acting deputy spokesperson of the US mission in Islamabad, reiterated US support for Pakistan to work with the IMF on its reform program.
Montgomery’s statement also highlighted the US ambassador’s emphasis on the importance of mutual interests and shared goals between the two countries, including accelerating projects under the joint Green Alliance framework to combat climate change.
PTI issued a statement after the meeting addressing points discussed, including the state of democracy, the rule of law in Pakistan, fundamental human rights, and the economy.
According to the statement, topics addressed included state interference in citizens’ right to vote, declaratory and non-declarative restrictions on basic political freedoms, and illegal administrative measures against freedom of expression and communication.
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“Discussions also covered the ongoing series of extra-constitutional and illegal political reprisals against hundreds of political detainees, including founder-chairman Imran Khan, his wife, male and female leaders, and workers of Tehreek-e-Insaf,” the statement read.
In April 2022, Imran Khan was ousted from power after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership.
Following the breakup of his government, Khan consistently and publicly accused the US of interfering to overthrow his administration, alleging that US diplomat David Lew communicated this intention via a cipher to Pakistan’s then-ambassador to the US, Asad Majeed.
Washington has consistently refuted Khan’s claims, asserting that Pakistan’s no-confidence motion against Khan was an internal affair.
Meanwhile, Khan and his close aide, Shah Mahmood Qureshi, are serving jail time on charges related to the cipher case, among others.
In the general elections held last February, the candidates of Khan’s PTI party won a historic victory despite being deprived of using its election symbol to identify party candidates.
The general election results were considered suspicious by observers, including the US.
According to reliable sources, PTI senior leadership convened Monday’s meeting with the US ambassador following their meeting with Khan, who is currently incarcerated in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi.
Political experts are describing the meeting between the US ambassador and PTI’s senior leadership as a significant breakthrough.
